Georgia Today: Georgians prepare for rising health care costs; Microsoft opens Atlanta data center

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here, we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, Microsoft opens a huge Atlanta data center. The president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta plans to retire. And Georgians prepare to see the costs of health care rise dramatically. 

Teresa Acosta: I don't see a world in which I can afford that. I'll likely have to look at Medicaid, see if I qualify, or if at least my kids qualify. 

Peter Biello: Today is Wednesday, Nov. 12. I'm Peter Biello, and this is Georgia Today. 

Story 1: 

Peter Biello: With the help of eight Democrats, the Senate has voted to reopen the federal government. The break in the shutdown stalemate comes without the one thing Democrats in Congress had been insisting on: protecting tax subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. As GPB's Sofi Gratas reports, that leaves some in Georgia still grappling with sticker shock. 

Sofi Gratas: At Brandy McGee Polatty's home in Jackson County near Athens, she plays me a phone message. 

Phone message: We're reaching out to let you know that your Affordable Care Act premium tax credit is set to expire, which will cause your monthly premium to increase. 

Brandy McGee Polatty: So I got that yesterday and that was — that was kind of scary. I was like, "OK, well I guess I'll call them back tomorrow morning." 

Turns out Polatty's plan will be more affordable than she expected. 

And the new premium is $345.23 from $124 a month. 

Sofi Gratas: But that's still three times more expensive. Polatty is still eligible for a type of ACA subsidy that's different from the COVID-era enhanced premium tax credits, helping 20 million people afford health care and set to expire if Congress doesn't renew them. Polatty really likes her plan, even if her family will have to save more to keep it. It's helped her get care from doctors she trusts for a variety of expensive conditions that affect her brain. Not having health insurance isn't an option. 

Brandy McGee Polatty: So I definitely am someone that is causing insurance rates to rise for other people. How does that make me feel? It angers me. 

Sofi Gratas: Polatty worries proposals to cut the COVID-era subsidies suggest lawmakers might not protect her husband's monthly disability or her child's Social Security check. 

Brandy McGee Polatty: And what would we do if they did that? 

Sofi Gratas: Polatty is not alone in having to navigate the fragility of all these social safety nets. Up I-85 in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody, Teresa Acosta is coming to terms with closing her catering business, which she started during COVID. 

Teresa Acosta: I started cooking family meals out of my house and selling them to my neighbors. 

Sofi Gratas: Over time, this became her source of income. 

Teresa Acosta: And it worked really well for my family, and I was able to sustain us. I really was able do that because I could afford insurance. 

Sofi Gratas: Acosta was eligible for a COVID-era tax credit, too. Her plan covers her and her three kids. Acosta says she knew she would have to close her business if federal lawmakers ended the tax credit. She'd already been struggling with tariffs, which were making her ingredients more expensive. On Nov. 1, she got a look at her new premium: over $500 a month next year, a third of her income. That's on top of a higher annual deductible. 

Teresa Acosta: I don't see a world in which I can afford that. I'll likely have to look at Medicaid, see if I qualify or if at least my kids qualify. 

Sofi Gratas: One of her kids has Type 1 diabetes and requires daily medication. Acosta is hoping to get employer-sponsored health coverage soon. A higher monthly premium is just one change people have to wrestle with, says Deanna Williams, a certified counselor of health insurance applications. She's been telling people to check everything during open enrollment: what they'll have to pay out of pocket to see the doctor, where they can see the doctor. 

Deanna Williams: Review your income, your estimated amount, your household size, your current plan. 

Sofi Gratas: But Williams knows many people, both healthy and sick, just won't be able to afford their new plans. She worries about her friends and family who might go without health insurance altogether. 

Deanna Williams: If you can't pay for your premium, you certainly can't for a large hospital bill. 

Sofi Gratas: If someone's income is low enough, or they have a qualifying condition, Williams can enroll them in Medicaid or other state medical assistance. Everyone else just has to decide what they're willing to pay. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas. 

Caption

Raphael Bostic is shown speaking at Emory University on April 15th, 2025.

Credit: Atlanta Fed via YouTube

Story 2:

Peter Biello: The president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta plans to retire at the end of his current term in February. Today's announcement from Atlanta Fed Chief Raphael Bostic comes as President Trump is seeking to exert more influence over the nation's monetary policy. Bostic's replacement will be selected by the Atlanta Fed's Board of Directors, and the Fed's Washington, D.C.-based Board of Governors will vote on whether to approve the replacement. Speaking at an unrelated Fed listening session in Atlanta today, Bostic reflected on his career. 

Raphael Bostic: Even today, you know, there are folks that are looking out for me and I don't know why they chose to do it, I don t know how, but I've been grateful for it and those are the things that I remember. 

Peter Biello: Bostic became the nation's first Black and openly gay president of a regional Fed bank in 2017. He recently has expressed concerns that inflation is still too high for the Fed to deeply cut its key rate. 

Story 3:

Peter Biello: A clinical trial in Atlanta is recruiting adult participants for a study on treating anxiety with psychedelic medication, GPB's Ellen Eldridge reports. 

Ellen Eldridge: Recent studies show scientific evidence supporting the potential use of psychedelics to treat mental health disorders like generalized anxiety disorder. Dr. Sandra Maass Robinson is a psychiatrist and principal investigator on the study with iResearch Atlanta. She says the trial is using a drug called MM120, a form of LSD. 

Dr. Sandra Maass Robinson: The generalized anxiety disorder, you know, we really don't have any products on the market that give a sustained effect control of the anxiety without a lot of potential side effects. And sadly, that's just the nature of the beast. 

Ellen Eldridge: She says the study results are expected in 2026. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge. 

Story 4:

Peter Biello: Microsoft has powered on its new data center in Atlanta. The company said today the facility began operating in October. The project is connected to another in Wisconsin to form what Microsoft calls its first AI super factory, running on hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA chips to power artificial intelligence. 

Story 5:

Peter Biello: Hormone-based drugs used to treat hot flashes and other menopause symptoms in women will no longer carry a bold warning label about stroke, heart attack, and other serious risks. The Food and Drug Administration announced the move Monday, eliciting praise from many doctors, including a menopause expert in Savannah. Dr. Pam Gaudry says women can now enjoy without fear the benefits that hormone treatments have given men for decades. 

Dr. Pam Gaudry: As the testosterone commercials say, you golf better, you dance better, you have more energy, I think we'll bring that back to women. They're just gonna get their lives back because they're gonna sleep better, their mood swings are gonna go away, and they're going to be able to enjoy a sexual life for as long as they desire. 

Peter Biello: Gaudry said the warning labels, required since 2003, quote, "destroyed lives and marriages." Some doctors were concerned about the process that led to this latest decision. 

Story 6:

Peter Biello: Six candidates have stepped forward to fill a Cherokee County legislative seat that was left empty after the death of the district's state representative last month. Canton Republican Rep. Mandy Ballinger died of cancer in October. Five Republicans and one Democrat have qualified to replace her in the statehouse. House District 23 was drawn to favor a Republican. The last time Ballinger had a Democratic opponent was in 2018, and she won with nearly three-quarters of the vote. The election is scheduled for Dec. 9, with early voting set to begin Monday, November 17th. With six candidates splitting the vote, it's likely that none of them will exceed the required 50% threshold to avoid a runoff. The runoff would be held Jan. 6. 

Story 7:

Peter Biello: A Democrat focused on health care and housing and a Republican focused on local concerns have qualified to compete in the special election to fill a vacant house seat in Northeast Georgia. Democrat Eric Gisler and Republican Mack "Dutch" Guest IV are on the ballot for the House District 121 special election on Dec. 9. Early voting starts next week. The special election was called after the abrupt resignation of Republican State Rep. Marcus Weidower from Watkinsville, who stepped down to focus on his work in real estate. 

Story 8:

Peter Biello: A global manufacturer of electrical components and systems plans to build a $10 million manufacturing site in metro Atlanta's Gwinnett County. France-based Socomec said today its facility near Suwannee will create 300 new jobs with hiring beginning early next year. The company specializes in power switching, monitoring, and energy storage, products that help keep large businesses running when the power goes out. 

Story 9:

Peter Biello: Arthur Blank's Georgia sports empire is growing again. The National Women's Soccer League says Atlanta has been awarded a Blank-owned expansion franchise. Blank already owns the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer's Atlanta United. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports the announcement came at an event last night celebrating the contributions of women and girls to sports. 

Amanda Andrews: The city will host the league's 17th team at Mercedes-Benz Stadium starting in 2028. Speakers at the event included the new team owner, Arthur Blank, Mayor Andre Dickens, and NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. Elizabeth Nilsen is a senior soccer player at North Atlanta High School. She says she's excited to see women train and compete in Atlanta. 

Elizabeth Nilsen: This growing NSWL team is just going to be so amazing, not only for the city, but for all of these young women out here. And I've been playing soccer for the majority of my life, and I'm just so excited to see the growth that it has. 

Amanda Andrews: Blank's A&B Sports and Entertainment Group will build a $165 million training ground and headquarters for the team. For GPB News I'm Amanda Andrews.

Story 10:

Peter Biello: Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin has won the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year award. Baldwin captured 21 of 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which has given the award nationally since 1947. Baldwin hit .274 this year with 19 homers and 80 RBIs over 124 games. Baldwin told reporters after the announcement this week that he's still processing the news of the award.

Drake Baldwin: It's still kind of surreal right now, but yeah, it's just an incredible year and was super excited it's ending this way.

Peter Biello: Baldwin is the 10th Braves player to win the Rookie of the Year award and the first since outfielder Michael Harris II won in 2022. He is the second Atlanta catcher to earn the honor, joining Earl Williams in 1971. And the Braves are already planning to give away a commemorative Drake Baldwin bobblehead. That giveaway is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 as the Braves host the Athletics at Truist Park.

And that is a wrap on Georgia Today. Thank you so much for tuning in. We appreciate you choosing GPB as your source of news. We've got more news coming your way tomorrow, so make sure you subscribe to this podcast and check GPB.org/news for updates. You can be our eyes and ears wherever you happen to be in Georgia. Let us know about what's going on in your community. If it's newsworthy, we'd love to cover it. You can send an email to GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. You could also send us feedback on what you've heard so far. Again, GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow. 

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